A Farewell to Arms By: Ernest Hemmingway "But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together. I know that the night is not the same as the day: that all things are different, that the things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist, and the night can be a dreadful time for lonely people once their loneliness has started. But with Catherine there was almost no difference in the night except that it was an even better time. If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry" (Miller 249).
PLOT:
This novel is about love and war, yet it has an underlying message for the reader. Lieutenant Henry was a young American ambulance driver serving in the Italian Army during World War I. Henry tours Italy and upon his return in the spring begins to fall in love with a recently widowed woman named Catherine Barkley. Their love for one another started out as playful seduction. Henry is wounded in war and needs surgery, he is transferred to Milan. Catherine is a nurse aid and also gets transferred to Milan. While in Milan, Catherine and Henry stop their playful seductive love and become completely consumed by a stronger more passionate and beautiful love. Catherine becomes pregnant and lets Henry know on his leave from the Army. The German's begin to advance on the Italian's and it goes completely chaotic from there. All Henry wants to do is be reunited with Catherine. The two then settle in a town called Montreux in Switzerland and leave the war behind themselves. Catherine gives birth to a still born baby boy and she to dies.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Lieutenant Henry: He was a protagonist. Henry is a courageous man yet also selfish for his wants. It seems Henry doesn’t really have any purpose to his life until he meets Catherine Barkley. Catherine Barkley: Catherine was an English nurse aid who falls in love with Henry. Catherine has very sensual hair, it is referred to many times in the novel. Rinaldi: Surgeon in the Italian Army. Rinaldi is a womanizer and often visited the whorehouse. Rinaldi is Henry's best mate. He lived his life being true to himself.
THEMES and SYMBOLS:
War: The novel revolves around war. Henry enters the war at one point also takes himself out of it, for the purpose of forgetting it. Miller does a good job of illustrating the violence and chaos in the book. All men involved started to lose their minds due to the war. IT catches the reader off guard when Henry shoots the engineer man, Henrys character is not represented as a cruel and heartless man. War is nothing more than a dark time in history. Love: Love is not an easy and simple thing to be involved in, it's hard and complex. At first Catherine is portrayed as a seducer as she thought she was going to be, but soon her heart changes that for her. They both need each other to take the problems off of their minds. Their love for one another is very idyllic for everyone. Who doesn’t want to find their love of their life in time of hardship and live happily ever after? The tragic thing in this novel is that it shows how love won't always last forever. That happily ever after that we all long for will likely never come. Loyalty: Henry started out being loyal to the war and what he had to do to help out his country, but then it soon changed when he met Catherine. He abandoned the war for her and their love. Loyalty means love and friendship. Catherine's Hair: It is not talked about a lot in the novel, but it is important. Her hair symbolizes to Henry being hidden behind something and their isolation from people. Her hair is showed as being delicate.
RECOMMENDATION:
This novel is for people who believe in true love and war. The book is for interesting and well written. The book intrigues the reader into wanting to keep on reading. This book deserves 4 stars!
WHY THIS BOOK MAKES THE 101 OUTSTANDING BOOK LIST:
This book should be on this list for a few reasons. Love and war is constantly in peoples lives. The plot is well described and set. The characters are all likeable and have their own symbols. The themes and symbols in the book all have very important meanings and purposes. All of them added together make this book overall a very good read. One book that everyone should take the time to read.
By: Ernest Hemmingway
"But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together. I know that the night is not the same as the day: that all things are different, that the things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist, and the night can be a dreadful time for lonely people once their loneliness has started. But with Catherine there was almost no difference in the night except that it was an even better time. If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry" (Miller 249).
PLOT:
This novel is about love and war, yet it has an underlying message for the reader. Lieutenant Henry was a young American ambulance driver serving in the Italian Army during World War I. Henry tours Italy and upon his return in the spring begins to fall in love with a recently widowed woman named Catherine Barkley. Their love for one another started out as playful seduction. Henry is wounded in war and needs surgery, he is transferred to Milan. Catherine is a nurse aid and also gets transferred to Milan. While in Milan, Catherine and Henry stop their playful seductive love and become completely consumed by a stronger more passionate and beautiful love. Catherine becomes pregnant and lets Henry know on his leave from the Army. The German's begin to advance on the Italian's and it goes completely chaotic from there. All Henry wants to do is be reunited with Catherine. The two then settle in a town called Montreux in Switzerland and leave the war behind themselves. Catherine gives birth to a still born baby boy and she to dies.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Lieutenant Henry: He was a protagonist. Henry is a courageous man yet also selfish for his wants. It seems Henry doesn’t really have any purpose to his life until he meets Catherine Barkley.
Catherine Barkley: Catherine was an English nurse aid who falls in love with Henry. Catherine has very sensual hair, it is referred to many times in the novel.
Rinaldi: Surgeon in the Italian Army. Rinaldi is a womanizer and often visited the whorehouse. Rinaldi is Henry's best mate. He lived his life being true to himself.
THEMES and SYMBOLS:
War: The novel revolves around war. Henry enters the war at one point also takes himself out of it, for the purpose of forgetting it. Miller does a good job of illustrating the violence and chaos in the book. All men involved started to lose their minds due to the war. IT catches the reader off guard when Henry shoots the engineer man, Henrys character is not represented as a cruel and heartless man. War is nothing more than a dark time in history.
Love: Love is not an easy and simple thing to be involved in, it's hard and complex. At first Catherine is portrayed as a seducer as she thought she was going to be, but soon her heart changes that for her. They both need each other to take the problems off of their minds. Their love for one another is very idyllic for everyone. Who doesn’t want to find their love of their life in time of hardship and live happily ever after? The tragic thing in this novel is that it shows how love won't always last forever. That happily ever after that we all long for will likely never come.
Loyalty: Henry started out being loyal to the war and what he had to do to help out his country, but then it soon changed when he met Catherine. He abandoned the war for her and their love. Loyalty means love and friendship.
Catherine's Hair: It is not talked about a lot in the novel, but it is important. Her hair symbolizes to Henry being hidden behind something and their isolation from people. Her hair is showed as being delicate.
RECOMMENDATION:
This novel is for people who believe in true love and war. The book is for interesting and well written. The book intrigues the reader into wanting to keep on reading. This book deserves 4 stars!
WHY THIS BOOK MAKES THE 101 OUTSTANDING BOOK LIST:
This book should be on this list for a few reasons. Love and war is constantly in peoples lives. The plot is well described and set. The characters are all likeable and have their own symbols. The themes and symbols in the book all have very important meanings and purposes. All of them added together make this book overall a very good read. One book that everyone should take the time to read.
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